Ages ago, Doc introduced me to John Taylor Gatto’s essay The Six-Lesson Schoolteacher (since upgraded to eight lessons, I think). I’ve been a fan ever since, and met him a couple of times. At one point, he recommended what is now one of my favorite history books, Tragedy and Hope.
Right now I’m reading his tome, The Underground History of American Education. It rambles, but it’s a wowzer.
Mark Finnern, who runs the Future Salons at SAP down in the Valley, is also a fan of Gatto’s, and convinced John to travel out here to speak. Read more about the talk on Mark’s blog or follow it on Upcoming.
2 responses so far ↓
jonhusband // September 27, 2008 at 8:37 pm |
You’re right, it was a wowser. Explains a fair bit, when considered over the major period of growth of institutional education.
Tangentially related, have you by any chance read Alfie Kohn’s “Punished By Rewards – The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes”?
Jerry // September 27, 2008 at 9:50 pm |
Wow, I had put Alfie in my Brain with one book, but didn’t realize how much I like his whole oeuvre! Awesome stuff. Thanks, Jon!
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